FBI arrests 17-year-old accused of planning to kill congressman, ISIS inspired attack

(The Daily Signal) – Federal authorities arrested a 17-year-old in Texas for allegedly plotting to murder Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, and carry out a terrorist attack on behalf of ISIS.

According to local reports, the unidentified teenager had been on the FBI’s radar for some time, but after he acquired a firearm, agents arrested him on Oct. 5. The FBI suspects the accused of plotting to murder the congressman this past Saturday when the congressman was supposed to judge a chili cookoff in McKinney, Texas.

“I am grateful to the FBI and law enforcement for stopping this threat. My family and I are safe, and I remain focused on serving the people of Texas’ 3rd District,” Self wrote in a statement.

“Preserving our constitutional republic from radical Islam means accepting the costs that come with it—name-calling, threats, and worse. Our Founders believed this country was worth the sacrifice. I served 25 years in the military because defending freedom was worth the sacrifice. This only strengthens my resolve. I will not back down,” he continued.

Self is a founding member of the Sharia-Free America Caucus in the U.S. House, which now has 70 members representing 25 states. The congressman suspects his involvement in the movement, and his support for a Sharia-free America, had something to do with him being a target. The caucus says its mission is “to oppose the influence of Sharia law in the United States and assert its incompatibility with the U.S. Constitution and Western values.”

“If it’s ISIS related, you kind of have to believe that. I can’t prove that. I don’t know that for sure. But you have to follow the walks like a duck and quacks like a duck. It’s probably a duck,” he said Wednesday night on a local ABC affiliate.

Self’s opponent, Democrat Evan Hunt, also condemned the attack and all acts of political violence.

“There is no place for violence in our politics. No political disagreement ever justifies threatening someone’s life. Every elected official, their family and their staff deserve to be safe, regardless of party,” he wrote in a statement.

“I appreciate the FBI and the law enforcement officers working to keep our communities and public servants safe. We must settle our differences through debate and at the ballot box. Political violence must be condemned without hesitation or excuses, no matter who is targeted,” he continued.

According to local reporting, federal prosecutors want to try the teenager as an adult. For now, he remains in federal custody.

(Photo Credit: Rep. Keith Self, Public Domain, Wikipedia Commons)